In the 1920s, the automobile made the transition from rich man's plaything to common man's pride and joy.

Ford Model TAlso known as the tin lizzie, the flivver and the farmer's car, the Model T was the most popular automobile in America during its years of production, 1908 to 1927. Henry Ford developed the assembly line in 1913, which allowed the cost of a Model T to drop from $850 in 1908 to $290 in 1925.

Ford Model ABy 1927, the other auto manufacturers were offering a dazzling array of colors, models and prices. This made the Model T look boring and old-fashioned. Ford halted production of the Model T and introduced the stylish Model A, which sold for $495.

auto ownership
In the 1920s, owning an automobile was a very high priority for most families. Sometimes they chose to spend their money on a car before spending it on indoor plumbing for their homes. Between 1923 and 1929, the number of families that owned a car jumped from 25 percent to 50 percent. Car ownership was very important to farmers, because having a car ended the intense isolation of country life. 90 percent of farm families owned a car in 1926, compared to 40 percent of the population as a whole.

Winkum: Girls sit on chairs in a circle, boys stand behind. One boy has a vacant chair. He winks at one girl, she tries to run to his chair before the boy behind her taps her on the head. Later, boys sit in chairs. Designed to reveal "who likes who."

Post Office: Boys and girls go to separate rooms. A room or closet in between acts as the "post office." One guest is the "postmaster." Boys tell the postmaster they have some mail for a certain girl in the other room. She is called into the post office and told that she has mail from a certain boy: a postcard (walk around the house), letter (hug), airmail letter (kiss) or money order (hug and kiss). She could either accept or reject the "mail." This was considered a somewhat "naughty" game, and some parents didn't allow it in their homes.

other games: My Aunt's Garden, The Knight Of The Whistle, The House That Jack Built, Making Up A Cargo, BUZ, scavenger hunts

Mah Jongg: In 1922, an Americanized version of this Chinese board game became wildly popular. The game was played with tiles made of bone. Enthusiastic players joined clubs, dressed in Chinese clothing, and took refreshments from lacquered Chinese trays.

Crossword puzzles were also very popular in the 1920s.

Bridge was enjoyed by people of all ages. For the person who has everything, giving the gift of a bridge set like the ones shown here was the perfect thing.